Yes, relocating your business is essential for the success of your business. However, as you decide for the relocation, you cannot be self-centric. As a business owner, you aren’t the only one getting affected from the change but your employees too. Each and every individual associated with the business will get affected and will have to uproot their lives. Yes, a business move can affect productivity as well as the satisfaction of your employees.
A business move can increase the stress level of the employees as they will have fear regarding their job security. While you can trust the best iMoving cross country moving companies for your office relocation requirements, you will have to manage the employees on your own. As a credible business owner,it is your responsibility to handle your employees in this crucial time and give them the desired motivation and assurance of their well-being.
Here are a few tips that will help you make your employees feel happy and satisfied with the big change in business:
1. Talk to them and be transparent
All the businesses should give prior notice to their employees regarding the business move. Make sure you tell your employees about the move as early as possible. Remember that it is not only you who is dependent on this business for your life but it equally affects the livelihood of all the employees and their family members. It is thus your responsibility to let them know about the move at least 3 to 4 months prior to the actual move.
You should also provide a timeline regarding the move and let them know that when they have to pack the materials and when the actual physical move will take place.
2. Involve your employees
Keep your staff and employees involved in relocation tasks by creating staff committees. Allow your employees to ask questions from you and give them advice and suggestions to minimize the downtime. Consider one to one meetings and give answers to all your questions and don’t forget to discuss their concerns in the meetings. You can also assign moving tasks to your employees which will make the move easier and keep your employees busy in relocation.
3. Communicate, communicate and communicate
Remember that your communication plan is ready with your move. Communication is key when it comes to managing employees during business relocation. You can make the communities of the staff and can assign them different moving tasks to perform. Employees who are going to get impacted by the business move will have more stress because of less information and uncertainties regarding their job and work.
Clear and constant messaging regarding the progress of the move helps employees to have more confidence while reducing their stress levels. Use multiple channels of communication like face to face talks, meetings, messages, emails, and internet to stay connected with all your employees before and during the office relocation. This makes your employees have more trust in you so that they would love to relocate to start their job at the new location. They will choose to relocate rather than leaving the job. It all depends on communication. So make sure you communicate well with your employees and let them know that they are also a part of your business.
4. Have a management plan ready
If the company leaders are calm and confident, they can help their employees in having a good move. Upper-level management must be ready to coach and teach their employees. The manager should be able to identify the symptoms if a particular employee is not able to handle the change well. It is the responsibility of management to manage everything in a good manner so that the employees working in the office don’t feel stressed. You can invest in the training of managers so that they can learn to handle employees well. Remember that only communicating in a good manner is very effective to reduce the stress level of the employees and will help make the employees happier.
5. Incentivize the employees
Of course, moving your business means your employees also have to move their communities and leaving your communities to require more finances. If you incentivize your employees then they will move happily. Provide them a stipend that includes the moving cost and other costs that increase because of their move to a new location. This will make your employees happy and they will accept the move with happiness. If you can offer support to your employees in settling down in the new city, it will be an added advantage.
6. Helping in long-distance business relocation
Long-distance moves are always more difficult than short-distance moves and when it comes on business moves, long-distance move becomes more difficult for employees because they also have to leave their place and have to shift their place. Help your employees by knowing them about the move as soon as it is possible. This will help your employees in making their decision whether they want to leave their job or want to move. In case, if your employee is not able to move then you can make recommendations for new positions.
Wrapping it all up!!!
Business relocation can be difficult and stressful for your employees so make sure you take care of them and helps them in relocating. Helping them and getting help from them during relocation is only the way to stay happy and to keep your employees happy during this difficult time.
